Today I present to you “Keith’s 10 rules of Planting Corn in the Western Corn Belt.” I have borrowed a couple from another list I saw, but mainly these are rules that I myself, or other agronomists here at CVA, have been promoting for several years.

We tend to think about soil sampling as a line item expense. Something to do when times are good, but can be delayed when budgets are tighter. That couldn’t be further from the truth

Biologicals, inhibitors, and many other products are seeing the culmination of a growing season. And while we are operationally focused, there is a wealth of data streaming into out monitors to feed a winter worth of study and decision making.

There is no doubt that in the last 20 years we have come a long way in reading what our fields tell us. Whether it has been the wide adoption of soil sampling, yield monitors, or even the advent of infield sensors like moisture probes, we have come a long way in learning how to read the signs that our fields give us.

The shifting nature of precision farming demands a foundation for employee commitment, yet the unique structure of any given dealership eliminates the possibility for any universal blueprint. Rarely does the perfect formula come from direct replication or an unhinged maverick move, but the best plans often fall somewhere in between.

When it comes to new Precision Ag technology and hardware, there is often a bit of anxiety about being the first to try it. I think it goes back to the tongue in cheek adage, “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

I have a drill press in my shed at home. It is a common tool that I use all of the time. It has a lot of functionality and works better than a handheld drill for most things. But for as valuable a tool as my drill-press is, it is worthless without drill bits.

I can assure you that in Agriculture, trends are every bit as present as they are in any other walk of life. Our challenge when it comes to being a technology group is that we are constantly looking at new gadgets, gizmos, and concepts. Some of them are obviously great new tools, some are sketchy, half-baked things doomed to failure, and some are questionable.

When it comes to new Precision Ag technology and hardware, there is often a bit of anxiety about being the first to try it. I think it goes back to the tongue in cheek adage, “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”